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Growing Stem Students: How Late Nite Labs' Online Platform is Spreading Science and Saving Schools' Resources

2013; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 41; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2190/et.41.4.d

1541-3810

Zoe Schwab,

Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research

Although STEM represents one of the fastest-growing fields in today's workforce, the United States' higher education system is not producing enough qualified STEM graduates to fill the increasing need of these industries. Schools must find a way to engage students and keep them interested in these fields, but budget cuts, large classes, and the increasing number of non-traditional students has made this challenge more and more difficult. Additionally, with community colleges and technical schools comprising a greater percentage of STEM applicants than ever, there needs to be a viable option for these schools to engage students in active science learning while protecting their already limited resources. By creating an interactive lab environment accessed online, Late Nite Labs provides labs that are more accessible than ever. By offering safe, open-ended lab environments through a virtual platform, schools can offer diverse bodies of students a more comprehensive, exploratory science education.